The Countdown
by Erin-Margo
Summary: A young boy tries to figure out why his life is so confusing as he learns about his true past.


I have waited my whole life for this day. Where I live, the day you are born you receive an electronic bracelet that your parents give to you when you are 12 years old. It is red and it counts down till the exact second your perfect match is right next to you. Nobody is allowed to know how much time is on your bracelet except for you. The day of your 13th birthday, you receive a blue electronic bracelet. It counts down till the exact second of your death.

"Happy birthday dear Michael, Happy birthday to you."

Everyone joined in on the day of my birthday. My closest friends were there and so was my family of course. I didn't know how special today really was, then I remembered it was my 12th birthday. The day I get my red bracelet. My friends all gave me a gift card or a small something, but I couldn't get my mind off of what was in the little box with the blue and green striped wrapping paper. It had a white ribbon and a tag that said _Happy Birthday Michael! -Dad, Mom, and Sophie._ Sophie is my older sister she is 14. Once I had finished fumbling with opening the last card that contained 20 dollars from my friend Trevor, I made eye contact with my mom.

"Alright everyone, today is the day that Michael gets a special gift from us." My dad's voice made everyone go silent. He had one of those deep voices that would sound scary to a little kid, but he was a very nice man. "Michael, here is your first bracelet."

I slowly opened the box. The paper stuck to my fingertips a little bit as the result of my hands being a little clammy from being nervous. I turned on the bracelet. I had to enter Yes or No to a couple questions. You know, name, birthday, and the like. It started to glow and a date flickered onto the screen.

7.21.2156

July 21st. I had to do the math. If it was year 2150, and I am to find my spouse in the year 2156, that's...6 years. I will be 18. It was sooner than other people I knew in my family. Once you find your spouse, you are able to tell people. The good thing is you don't have to marry them right away. you can have time to be with each other first before you get married. My aunt and uncle met when they were both 23. You can only be paired up with someone the same age, a year older, or a year younger. My parents met when my dad was 21 and my mom was 22.

As I sat there, I couldn't stop thinking about the people that I would possibly be happy with if I was older. Knowing the people around my age, I can't quite picture myself with anyone. The party went on. That night, I lay in bed watching the timer on the bracelet underneath the date. The time was getting shorter and shorter. Not by much at all, but enough to know it was coming.

The next morning when I woke up, I looked in the mirror and I saw the bracelet as I brushed my hair with my fingers in a slight upwards motion and remembered my birthday yesterday. It was Thursday, and everyone at school was itching to see my bracelet, but they knew if I showed them I would be in huge trouble. Time went on, and I grew accustomed to having it on my wrist.

Every night, my sister came into my room and would say the same thing, "I will show you my bracelet first if you promise to show me yours."

I would always say, "No Sophie, you know it's against the rules."

Tonight was different though, I told her yes, but only if she showed me the day she was going to die. She thought it was unfair, but I told her it was fair because I want to know when I will have to say goodbye. I wanted to know. She came over to my bed and looked me in the eye. I looked at her wrist as she slowly pulled up her sleeve and the blue bracelet shone in the darkness of my room. It said that she would die on 3.17.2226.

Sophie will be...76. That's a pretty average age, except for that really old man who lived on the corner of the next block over. What was his name?... Oh yea, Steve Martinson. He lived to be 88.

"Come on Michael, you have to show me yours."

"Okay okay, one second." I said in a hurried voice as I fumbled to roll up my sleeve. This nightshirt was getting to be a little too small for me.

I showed her the date.

She just stared at it, didn't blink, didn't move a muscle, she just stared at it. Then she began to get up without saying a word and ran out of my bedroom after tears started to roll down her face. The one that hit my hand disappeared, and I heard her door across the hall click shut. I decided to let her calm down before I talked to her. The next morning at breakfast, I sat down in my seat next to Sophie.

I whispered, "Good morning Sophie, did you sleep well?"

She didn't look at me, she didn't say anything back, and she didn't even touch her breakfast.


End file.
